Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-08-25
The Most Fatal Railroad Accidents.

The Most Fatal Railroad Accidents.
The terrible railroad accident on We'd
nesday night has occasioned everywhere
debate as to the comp arative fatality in
previous railway disasters. One hears
constant mention of Ashtabula, and next
perhaps the Tay bridge tragedy in Scot
land seems to have taken hold of the
popular imagination. Neither of these
calamities, however, comes up to that
near Chatsworth, so far at least of loss of
life and injury to person go. At Ashta-
bula bridge over hundred persisted by
drowning, burning, and in other ways.
The horror of the thing was what made
the calamity so fearfully memorable.
Few were killed outright. 1t was mass
of human beings pinned down to watch,
In the full possession of their faculties,
the approach of the flames that would
consume them. In the case of the Tay
bridge, where passenger train was
blown In hurricane bodily into the sea,
not soul surviving to tell the tale, there
is certain awfulness that impresses US,
but there is no shuddering at any agony
of suffering. About seyenty-four lives
were lost. The disaster which stands
pre-eminent for fatality in railway records
occurred on the Morelos road, Mexico,
through the fall of bridge near Cuortla.
In this accident, which happened in Feb
ruary, 1881, over two hundred lives were
lost. Bridge accidents have been numer-
Gus and disastrous. A memorial one oc-
Cured In January, 1873, to party of ex-
curslonists returning from a Moody and
Sankey meeting on the Connecticut West
ern road. bridge over the Pennington
river gave way and thirteen persons were
crushed to death and drowned and thirty
three Others injured. Excursion trains
have been frequently the victims of dis
aster. One of the earliest calamities in
the history of railroads took place to
such train near Versailles, France. 1t
was the birthday of King Louis Philippe,
and holiday makers were returning from
Versailles to Paris. An axle broke and
horrible holocaust was the consequence.
Three carriages with locked doors were
piled on burning mass of debris, and
more than fifty persons were burned be-
fore the eyes of the spectators looking
helplessly on. AS many more
were injured. Whole families persisted.
An accident occurred at Campbell station.
twelve miles from Philadel phia, which
surpasses, as regards fatality, that in
France. 1t happened July IL, 1886, to a
train carrying eleven hundred children on
Sunday school picnic with their teach
ers and friends. Five cars were burned
and sixty-six persons persisted. The in
jured numbered more than one hundred.
Here, an excursion train running against
time came, on single-track road, in col,
lision with regular train. The record
is full of similar disasters, too numerous
70 admit of specific reference. In 1878,
To- &c
cursionists, returning from rowing
match on a special train, got derailed.
Six forward cars were either thrown
wholly to the one side or to the other or
crushed between two locomotives and the
rear of the train. Nineteen persons per-
ished and fifty were injured.
The causes of the accidents on RAILWAYS
are not.s numerous as might be Supposed,
hnt the most disastrous in the cOuptry
are apt to occur to bridges. This is not
the case in Great Britain. In a period of
six years, under the heading of "Failures
of Tunnels, Bridges, Viaducts, and Gull
vents whilst in Great Britain, twenty
nine accidents are returned, in America
for the same period, Under similar
heading, 165 casualties are ranged. Eng
lish collisions are mostly traceable to
constant overcrowding, whilst American
derailments and bridge accidents are dis
tiHctly referable to the inferior construc-
ton of our roadbeds.
It is curious to notice, in connection
with the railroads, that in some years
there is comparative immunity from dis
aster, whilst in others there occur con-
slant succession of serious calamities.
This year the railroad companies are Sc
far experiencing a notable illustration G;
the adage that it never rains but i.
pours.